Blu on blue

I never knew much about Denim Day until this year when I interviewed a woman for OnMilwaukee.com named Dawn Helmrich, a sexual abuse survivor who is responsible for launching Denim Day in Milwaukee.

Denim Day was started after a woman in Italy was raped by her driving instructor. The man was originally convicted, but later a judge overturned the conviction because it was decided the victim was wearing tight jeans and therefore, because she most likely had to assist in the removal of the pants, she gave consent to the rape.

Outraged, women started showing up at the Italian parliament wearing tight jeans in protest and Denim Day emerged. Today, campuses hold special events and offices encourage their employees to wear jeans on the third Wednesday of April in solidarity with sexual abuse survivors.

This year, Denim Day is on Wednesday, April 23.

Last night, Blu hosted a “Hope Shining Blue” event in honor of Denim Day that featured five local artists tending bar. Ten percent of all sales and tips going to the Healing Center which provides services to people who have been sexually abused.

It was great to see so many people turn out for the event which raises awareness to such a terrible, often-silent reality for so many.

The blue-ness was everywhere, except in mood, from the name and decor of Blu, to the clothing color worn by so many to the calm, beautiful lake just beyond the glass window that is wonderful at healing us no matter what our pains are.

‘Twas a blu-tiful evening.

About the author

Molly Snyder has lived in Milwaukee her entire life. She started keeping a diary when she was four and published her first poem at age 10 called “The Unicorn” in the now-defunct Shorewood Herald. Today, she writes less about mythical creatures and more about Milwaukee people and places. She is a senior writer at OnMilwaukee.com, where she has worked for the last 12 years. Telling people’s stories is her passion.

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Anja Notanja Sieger – The Current Narrator

Anja is pronounced (ON-JUH) and 'Notanja' (not-ON-JUH). Anja is the person-conduit and Notanja is the spirit writing the letters. Both currently hang out in the Pfister Hotel and would like to meet you.

"I am a performing typist who interprets other people's thoughts in the form of “prosettes.” Prosettes (poetry-letter hybrids) are typed for the customer on-the-spot, usually on a typewriter. For me the typewriter offers the pre-computer era tradition of translating ideas into clacking physicality. Customers can choose from the following options: Poetry, Love Letter, Insult Letter, Letter of Recommendation, Short Story, Letter from a Pet, Other. Writing letters requires me to pretend for the duration of the composition that I am the client.”